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"Balanced and timely ... a smooth narrative that provides welcome context for Russia's recent revanchist behavior and insight into prospects for ongoing U.S.-Russian relations." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Meticulously lays out the record, from Mikhail Gorbachev to Vladimir Putin... A cold-eyed examination of recent Russian history that seems to show that there was never a solid plan to integrate Russia into the West." -- Kirkus ReviewsWhen the Soviet Union collapsed on December 26, 1991, it looked like the start of a remarkable new era of peace and co-operation. Some even dared to declare the end of history, assuming all countries would converge on enlightenment values and liberal democracy.Nothing could be further from the truth.